The Ancient Allan eBook

“But, Bes,” I said, “what is, is
and may always be learned in this way or in that.”

“Master, if what is were always learned, I think
the world would fall to pieces, or at least there
would be no men left on it. Why should this matter
be learned? It is known to you and me alone, leaving
out the Great King who probably has forgotten as he
was drunk at the time. Oh! Master, when
you have neither bow nor spear at hand, it is not
wise to kick a sleeping lion in the stomach, for then
he will remember its emptiness and sup off you.
Beside, when first I told you that tale I made a mistake.
I did tell the Great King, as I now remember quite
clearly, that the beautiful lady was named Amada, and
he only sent for you to ask if I spoke the truth.”

“Easily as an old sandal, Master, or rather
not at all, since the Grasshopper has need of none.
For ages they have studied the ways of those who worship
the gods of Egypt, and from them have learned——­”

“What?”

“Amongst other things, Master, that woman, being
modest, is shocked at the sight of the naked Truth.”

CHAPTER XI

THE HOLY
TANOFIR

We entered the City of Graves that is called Sekera.
In the centre towered pyramids that hid the bones
of ancient and forgotten kings, and everywhere around
upon the desert sands was street upon street of monuments,
but save for a priest or two hurrying to patter his
paid office in the funeral chapels of the departed,
never a living man. Bes looked about him and
sniffed with his wide nostrils.

“Is there not death enough in the world, Master,”
he asked, “that the living should wish to proclaim
it in this fashion, rolling it on their tongues like
a morsel they are loth to swallow, because it tastes
so good? Oh! what a waste is here. All these
have had their day and yet they need houses and pyramids
and painted chambers in which to sleep, whereas if
they believed the faith they practised, they would
have been content to give their bones to feed the
earth they fed on, and fill heaven with their souls.”

“Do your people thus, Bes?”

“For the most part, Master. Our dead kings
and great ones we enclose in pillars of crystal, but
we do this that they may serve a double purpose.
One is that the pillars may support the roof of their
successors, and the other, that those who inherit their
goods may please themselves by reflecting how much
handsomer they are than those who went before them.
For no mummy looks really nice, Master, at least with
its wrappings off, and our kings are put naked into
the crystal.”

“And what becomes of the rest, Bes?”

“Their bodies go to the earth or the water and
the Grasshopper carries off their souls to—­where,
Master?”

“I do not know, Bes.”

“No, Master, no one knows, except the lady Amada
and perhaps the holy Tanofir. Here I think is
the entrance to his hole,” and he pulled up
his beast with a jerk at what looked like the doorway
of a tomb.